Oar



Oct. 30, 1928.

A. H. BURNS OAR Filed Nov. 29, 1926 gvwmtow A Burn/6' Patented Oct. 30,1928.

UN TED TES ARTHUR H. BURNS, 0F PENN YAN, NEW YORK.

OAR.

Application filed November 29, 1926. Serial No. 151,490.

This invention relates to oars and more par-- ticularly to an oaremployed for propelling row-boats and other small boats. At the presenttime row-boats are usually propelled byloars fittedinto oar looks at thesides of a row-boat and the operator occupies a seat in the boatforwardly of the oar locks and faces the stern or rear end of the boat.This has beenfound objectionable as the person rowing theb oat is facingrearwardly and,therefore, .finds it difficult to maintain a straightcourse and alsois liable to accidentally collidewith other boats orobstructions in a body of water.

I Therefore, one object ofthe inventionis to provide an oar which maybeoperated 1n the usual manner but with the operator-facing the .bowoftheboatinstead of the stern.

. It has alsobeen .jfound that when an oar ot a conventionalconstruction is in use it isliable toslip out of an oarlocktlmrebypreventing proper rowing of the boat and also is liable to slipthroughthe oar lock andfloat away from the boat if released without beingliftedfrom the lock or drawn inwardly. Therefore,

another object of the invention is;t0 provide theoar with an improvedmountingby means of which itmay'bes'ecurelyatt ached to a boat butpermitted to have proper gmovement impartedto it while rowing. a

' Another object of the invention is to allow a;relatively;longswingorworking movement to be imparted to theblade portion of an oarwhen a short movement is imparted to the handle end of the oar.

Another object of the invention is to permit the blade portion of theoar to be removed from its mounting and employed as a paddle if sodesired and to also allow the blade and handle portions of the oar to besecurely locked in the mounting against swinging movement relative toeach other if it is necessary to use the oars in a boat having ordinaryoar locks. V

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein-Figure 1 is a view showing the mounting for the blade and handleportions of an oar partially in top plan and partially in longitudinalsection, fragments of the blade and handle of the oar being shown in topplan;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1,and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

The car constituting the subject-matter of this invention includes ahandle portion, indi= with" arcuate edges cut ,to pr .cated by thenumeral 1, and a blade portion, indicatedby the numeral 2. The blade andandhandle portions of the oar are of a conventional construction andonly fragments thereof have been shown in the drawing. Themounting forthe blade and handle cludes a frame having upper and lower plates 3 and4 which may be formed of any'rneta-l. desired having suficient strength.These plates 3 and 4 are disposed one above the other and connected bybolts v5 andfi which pass through openings formed in the upper plate 3and are screwed into threaded :openings formed in the lower plate 4.Sleeves 7 aids are fitted upon thebolts 5 and 6 and constitute spacersto retain theplates proper spaced relation to each other and preventthem froi n being moved too close together when the bolts aretightened.

' Handle and blade carriers 9 and 10 which, if desired, may be referredtoas heads for the handle andblade are disposedibetween the plates ofthe frame] The blade" and handle carriers are forined of metal and areprovided with openings Hand 12 through which the sleeves '8 pass. Itwill thus 'b seen thatthebolts 6 will constitute axl j-f the carriersand the sleeves Sfmay' constitute bushings for them. The inwardlyjfaeingend portions of the carriers are formed 13 and 14 which internieshsothat, when 'the handle carrier is rotated, rotary motion will betransmitted to the blade carrier and a swinging movement imparted to theoar blade. By an inspection of Fig. 1, it will be seen that the circleof which the arcuate edge of the handle carrier forms a portion is ofgreater diameter than the circle of which the arcuate edge of the bladecarrier forms a portion. Therefore, when the handle of the oar is swunga short distance a long swing will be imparted to the blade of the oarand a boat may be rapidly propelled through the water with a minimumexertion on the part of the operator.

In order to connect the mounting with the side of a boat, there has beenprovided a hinge leaf 15 having the usual openings therein to receivefastener screws 16 and also preferably provided with openings to receivebolts 17 of suflicient length to pass entirely through the gunnel 18 ofa rowboat. The

pin or axle 20., Openings are drilled in the ovide gear teeth endportion of the hinge pin to receive securing keys 21, one of which iscarried by a chain '22. The chain 22 is engaged with a ring 23 carriedby theplate 3 so that, when the other cotter key is removed and .thehinge pin withdrawn, it may be suspended the chain and not be liable todrop into the water and become lost. Bearings 24 are rivetedor otherwiserigidly secured against the under face of the lower plate 4 of the frame1n proper spaced relation to each other to be received between the hingesleeves 19 and are formed with alined openings through which the'hingepin passes, as shown in Fig. 3. It will thus be seenthat when the hingepin is in place the frame ma be tilted transversely of the gunnel inortfer to move the blade of an oar into and out of the water whilerowing the boat.

If it is desired to employ the oar in connection with an oar lock of aconventional construction, the blade and handle portions of the oarmustbe prevented from having swinging movement relative to each other.Therefore, I have provided pins 25 which are carried by chains 26engaged with rings 27"car'ried by the upper plate 3 of the frame, andthese pins 25 are adapted to be passed through openings 28, 29 and 30formed in the frame and blade and handle carriers when the blade andhandle are disposed in alinement and the openings '29 in registry withthe openings 28 and 30. By this arrangement the blade and handle portionof the oar may be held stationary and the oar fitted into an oar lock ofa conventional construction and operated in the usual manner. It shouldalso be noted that, if desired, the bolt 6 which pivotally mounts theblade carrier may be removed and thereby release the blade and itscarrier so that they may be withdrawn from the frame or housing and theblade portion of the oar employed as a paddle. I havethus provided anoar which may be operated in connection with oar locks of a conventionalconstruction, as a bow facing oar, or as a paddle.

If desired, the gear forming portions of the carriers may be of the samesize so that swinging movement of the blade and handle will be the same,

Having thus described the 1nvention,'I'

the sleeves on the last-mentioned fasteners and having arcuate inneredges formed with intermeshing gear teeth, bearing brackets securedagainst the. under face of the lower plate adjacent opposite saidedgesthereof, v

a hinge leaf having sleeves spaced from each other along its upper edgeto be disposed at the outer vsides of said brackets, means for securingsaidleaf rigidlyto the gunnel of a boat, a pin passed through thesleeves and bearing brackets to pivotally connect I the frame and hingeleaf, and means engaged with'the ends of said pin and the upper frameplate to prevent loss of the pin.

In testimony whereof I' affix my signature.

ARTHURH. Bonus; 1,. 3.1-

